The Breathing Diabetic Summary

This study found that exposure to high levels of oxygen promoted deep, restorative sleep. Science Daily did an excellent summary of the research.

Why is this important to us? Well, we know from a study published in Nature(see abstract) that slow breathing has similar effects to hyperoxia. In fact, the Nature article found that, in some respects, slow breathing had more benefits than hyperoxia. For example, the authors found that slow breathing and hyperoxia both increased oxygen saturation and baroreflex sensitivity. However, hyperoxia also slightly increased blood pressure and worsened arterial function, both of which were improved by slow breathing.

Taken together, we see that if high levels of oxygen promote deep sleep, and slow breathing mimics the effects of high oxygen, then breathing slowly during sleep could also potentially promote deep, restorative sleep. How do we breathe slowly during sleep? By taping our mouth and using the natural resistance of our nose!

Combining these two studies helps explain why I (and thousands of others) have noticed dramatic improvements in energy levels from simply taping up at night.